Courvoisier Erté Collection

William M. Dowd photo illustration

• This is part of "Gotta Have ...", a series of occasional postings on unusual spirits products.

"Limited edition" is a phrase that can mean a lot of things -- a fancy bottling in a restricted number of bottles, a small supply of a spirit put on the market ...

In this instance, we speak of both, which make up the Courvoisier Erté Collection.

The cognac, owned by Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc., says this is truly a one-of-a-kind offering blending "two of the greatest pleasures in life -– outstanding cognac and the eternal beauty of art."

The collection consists of seven limited-edition bottles designed by Erté, the Art Deco specialists, illustrating the wine cycle from the grape growing to the end product. Inside is a special blend from Courvoisier that includes cognac dating back to 1892, the year Erté -- a leading artist in the Art Deco movement for more than 70 years -- was born.

Erté was the Russian-born painter Romain de Tirtoff, who called himself Erté after the French pronunciation of his initials. He was known for his fashion and stage designs in the early 20th Century. As his Web site notes, "From the sensational silver lamé costume, complete with pearl wings and ebony-plumed cap, that he wore to a ball in 1914, to his magical and elegant designs for the Broadway musical 'Stardust' in 1988, Erté pursued his chosen career with unflagging zest and creativity for almost 80 years.

"On his death in 1990, he was hailed as the 'prince of the music hall' and 'a mirror of fashion for 75 years'."

Courvoisier's history dates to the Napoleonic era and is the only cognac house to receive the Prestige de la France, France’s highest award for excellence.

The seven bottles were originally released from 1988 to 1994:

• Vigne (Vine), 1988
• Vendanges (Harvest), 1989
• Distillation, 1990
• Vieillissement (Aging), 1991
• Degustation (Tasting), 1992
• L’Esprit du Cognac (The Spirit of Cognac), 1993
• La Part Des Anges (The Angels’ Share), 1994

Fewer than 20 of the seven-piece sets, as well as a limited number of individual bottles remain. Just eight are being released to the U.S. market in November. The 750ml bottles have a suggested retail price of $1,450 individually and $10,000 for the collection.

The collection can be pre-ordered by calling 1-877-774-7487 or going online for delivery in time for the holidays.

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